Hello again, Survivors and greetings from our next Dev Note!
Up to now, the Dev Notes have focused mainly on bigger topics, introducing related content. However, today, I want to showcase some newly added convenience features and gameplay elements.
- Addition of Weapon Quick Slots
- Addition of Enemy Luring (Pulling)
- Addition of the Pursuit System
- Improvement and Diversification of Rechargeable Tools
- Addition of Research and Tool Crafting System
Currently, changing weapons does not consume WP/TP. This allows players to freely use weapons that fit the situation during combat.
However, previously it was a bit inconvenient as players had to repeatedly open and close the inventory to change weapons. To encourage use of this feature, we’ve added a quick slot UI.
During combat, clicking the equipped weapon button or pressing the shortcut key [Q] displays a list of all owned weapons. From here, players can click on the desired weapon or press the corresponding number key to immediately switch to the selected weapon.
One of the most important features in the combat system is the “Alarm” mechanism, where enemies swarm in when they detect a player. This system pushes players to set up a “favorable formation in advance” before engaging in combat.
However, during playtesting, we observed that players exploited certain advantages, such as “1-tile-wide entrances,” where they simply waited endlessly as enemies approached, maintaining their formation. We felt that if this method was the most effective play, the game would become tedious.
To address this, we have introduced the “Pebble Pouch” tool, which allows players to inflict light damage from a distance and lure enemies towards the player's direction.
This addition enables players to be more actively engaged in the game by luring enemies immediately after establishing a favorable formation. Furthermore, players can creatively use this tool, such as redirecting the enemy's line of sight or dealing with enemies with only 1 HP remaining.
Even with the addition of luring, the problem persisted where players “waited endlessly until enemies approached”' as it was still an “efficient” choice due to the limitations in TP consumption, without additional items.
To solve this, we implemented a system where new enemies appear and pursue the player party after a certain number of turns have passed.
In the early stages, players will encounter a manageable number of chasing enemies. However, as the game progresses to later stages, more enemies will appear, pressuring the Survivors at a much faster pace.
Engaging the chasing enemies consumes Turns, and players could suffer significant losses if they get caught by newly spawned enemies again. Therefore, it is necessary to efficiently utilize the given TP/WP resources, achieve the stage objectives, and escape.
We carefully considered the implementation of the Pursuit system, as it could add excessive pressure to players unfamiliar with the game. Through extensive testing and thoughtful balancing, we managed to maintain a level of tension without making the game impossible, as long as players do not intentionally prolong their turns excessively.
The “Grappling Hook,” obtainable at the beginning of the Monastery stage, serves as an important tool, offering a wide range of tactical options beyond simply pulling and attacking enemies. In addition to pulling enemies, it can create “collisions” to defeat “'Blisters” or rescue Allies trapped and unable to move, introducing a variety of tactical variables.
Originally, players could use the grappling hook up to three times in a single stage, and it was designed as a “Rechargeable Tool,” allowing players to replenish its uses without additional resource consumption in the next stage, encouraging active usage.
However, due to the limited number of uses in a single stage, players often refrained from using the grappling hook, saving it for a “more opportune moment,” which frequently led to situations where they couldn't utilize it effectively before the stage ended.
To address this, we significantly increased the Grappling Hook's usage limit to 20 times per stage while changing the cost to 4 TP per use. This adjustment allows players to treat the grappling hook tool like a basic skill, similar to “Shoulder Bash (costs 5 TP, pushes one tile)”, leading to a more engaging gameplay experience, as concluded from our testing results.
Based on these test results, we decided to actively incorporate Rechargeable Tools that can lead to various tactical situations.
For example, the “Barricade” which players encounter as a deployable object in the Monastery Chapel area, becomes a Rechargeable Tool that players can actually acquire and utilize after clearing the stage.
When deployed, it consumes 4 TP, and players can carry up to two of them. It can be used for defensive purposes, blocking enemy attack routes. Alternatively, players can strategically place them in front of allies before luring enemies with pebbles, allowing them to engage the enemy without being caught.
Additionally, a Rechargeable tool, the “Coin Pouch” has been added. Players can use this tool to divert enemy attention, allowing additional abilities of weapons that require “out-of-sight attacks,” or quickly advancing towards quest locations without being detected.
With these tactical tools transitioning from “Consumables” to “Rechargeable Tools,” players can now use them more actively in each stage, significantly enhancing the enjoyment of the game.
Once rescued from the Monastery, the NPC “Aldris” joins the camp and unlocks the “Research” system which allows further enhancement of these Tools.
Various research is available, such as enhancing the Grappling Hook to pull targets directly in front of the user instead of just 1 tile, reducing the TP cost for deploying barricades from 4 to 2, or increasing the amount of times the “Coin Pouch” can be used.
In addition to upgrading existing tools, research can also lead to acquiring new tools. For example, researching “High Barricades” that can obscure the enemies' line of sight or studying advanced Infested like “Blister” and “Skulker” to create tools utilizing their abilities.
Also, Consumables like Bandages and Equipment Repair Ttools, unlike Rechargeable Tools, can now be crafted directly using materials like “Cloth” or “Rope.”
There are many more new things I could talk about, but I think it’s more fun if you discover them yourself during gameplay!
Thank you, Survivors!
Stay tuned for more updates and one big news coming soon!